Phuket, Thailand

Western Phuket

Kamala Beach

Kamala Beach is on the west coast of Phuket, just to the north of Patong Beach and immediately south of Surin Beach. Kamala has a village feel and provides a haven for those preferring the quieter life. Although the southern end of Kamala beach can get busy during the high season, the northern end is peaceful all year round. Rim Haad (Beach Road), at the southern end, has a number of small 20-30 room hotels for the low-medium budget traveller.

If you are looking to spend most of the time on the beach enjoying the sea, this is a very good place to be. Kamala Beach is quite nice and the sea floor is nice and sandy. In the afternoons the water spectacularly recedes leaving a blanket of rocks at the left end of the beach. You won't be able to avoid a Thai massage offered by the small stalls along the beach - the rate seems fixed at around 300 baht for an hour. Even if you're not comfortable with a full body massage, don't miss out on a heavenly foot massage.

Kamala Beach by Gossipguy

The Kamala Wat is located at the south end of the beach and is almost unnoticeable. The temple and its grounds have been restored since the 2004 tsunami. Phuket FantaSea is an exuberant show and cultural theme park that combines the rich heritage of Thailand with unique 3D effects and animals. The park is 140 acres and contains a 4,000-seat restaurant offering a grand buffet of Thai and international cuisine and a shopping street offering local products. Kamala Diving Center offers half-day trips to dive sites around Kamala including like Kamala Rock (a boulder site), Ko Weo (small reef island), Tin Lizzy (dredger wreck) and Tai Pau (shallow sand bottom site).

Phuket FantaSea by Lerdsuwa

Kamala beach has a lot of small bungalows and huts directly on the beach, charging 1,600-2,000 baht per night during the high season. There are a few restaurants directly on the beach as well in the village. The specialty here is seafood cooked Thai style, though some do offer a few Western dishes. There are quite a few souvenir shops on the road, along with tour offices where you can book tours for diving. Most noticeable are the 20-30 tailor shops, which will try to offer you the "best and cheapest" suits in Western fashion.